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rick3003
28th February 2009, 10:08 PM
Well here is my swing. Never really had a proper lesson and don't know too much about the mechanics of the golf swing. Posture and alignment seem to be my main issues.

Good and bad comments welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAUCxc-rBAQ

Minor_Threat
28th February 2009, 10:12 PM
Mate that looks pretty solid to me..

My guess is your bad shot is when your back swing gets a little short and you pull or cut the ball?

rick3003
28th February 2009, 10:20 PM
Bit of both actually. My bad shot with the irons is a pull and a cut with the driver. Generally when I get lazy late in the round.

PeteyD
28th February 2009, 10:31 PM
I prefer to call it tired.

Jarro
1st March 2009, 05:29 AM
Where's the hair ?!? :-s

Nice swing Ricky 8)

razaar
1st March 2009, 06:06 AM
Rick you are an advanced golfer. I bet your bad shots are caused by arm separation into the follow through and when the plane of your through swing doesn't match the plane of your backswing. At your level the secret of a consistent swing lies in repeating a follow through where the elbows stay close together and the planes on both sides match. Learn to feel the clubface position beyond impact and this will give you feedback on what has happened at the ball.
In the swing you posted the left elbow should be pointing more in front of your body and much closer to your right arm which is in perfect plane position. Also the shaft at the finish should match the shaft angle at address for consistancy.
This suggests to me that your left arm may be the cause of your off shots. Think of an action like say - playing a lefthanded (top spin) back hand shot in table tennis to the right corner where your left hand finishes opposite your left ear and the elbow points to the front. Hope this helps.

Minor_Threat
1st March 2009, 08:18 AM
Rick you are an advanced golfer. I bet your bad shots are caused by arm separation into the follow through and when the plane of your through swing doesn't match the plane of your backswing. At your level the secret of a consistent swing lies in repeating a follow through where the elbows stay close together and the planes on both sides match. Learn to feel the clubface position beyond impact and this will give you feedback on what has happened at the ball.
In the swing you posted the left elbow should be pointing more in front of your body and much closer to your right arm which is in perfect plane position. Also the shaft at the finish should match the shaft angle at address for consistancy.
This suggests to me that your left arm may be the cause of your off shots. Think of an action like say - playing a lefthanded (top spin) back hand shot in table tennis to the right corner where your left hand finishes opposite your left ear and the elbow points to the front. Hope this helps.Too much information.. His bad shot is when he gets quick on the backswing and he becomes too short. Very simple!

Why do people over complicate the golf swing?

razaar
1st March 2009, 08:23 AM
FFS!!!

Minor_Threat
1st March 2009, 08:28 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

rick3003
1st March 2009, 09:45 AM
Keeping it simple has always worked for me. I just dont get the mechanics to be honest.

The only drill that works for me is to feel like I am shaking hands with the target. That usually gets me back on track real quick.

3oneday
1st March 2009, 09:55 AM
Too much information.
I agree, there is (and should be) only one virge ;)

rebjon
1st March 2009, 11:04 AM
Too much information.. His bad shot is when he gets quick on the backswing and he becomes too short. Very simple!

Why do people over complicate the golf swing?

Define quick and what is too short ???

razaar
1st March 2009, 11:09 AM
Keeping it simple has always worked for me. I just dont get the mechanics to be honest.

The only drill that works for me is to feel like I am shaking hands with the target. That usually gets me back on track real quick.
And a good thought too....but you did invite comment. Not knowing how or what you think about, it is difficult to comment on a really good swing. My words were directed at issues an advanced golfer should be aware of. Your top of the follow position show how an advanced player would play a cut shot into the green. It is not a position for a straight shot or a draw. The interesting thing about working on getting the through swing (past the ball position) right is that it sets you up for a good shot the next time you swing. Lesser gifted players are always working on their backswing, when it is the through swing which is important. One other thing I did notice was you have a tendancy to roll sideways abit on the left foot. If you roll on the backswing you will also roll on the through swing which can lead to getting ahead of the ball when you should be over it or behind it. It is better to ensure the whole ball of the left foot stays in contact with the ground on the backswing so that you can move back into the left heel in the through swing. This promotes better balance and stability to deliver the clubhead to the ball with power. My comments are meant to be helpful to yourself and others who are interested in the golf swing.

Minor_Threat
1st March 2009, 11:56 AM
Define quick and what is too short ???Quicker than his normal swing and shorter than his normal swing.. ;)

rick3003
1st March 2009, 12:01 PM
Your top of the follow position show how an advanced player would play a cut shot into the green. It is not a position for a straight shot or a draw. The interesting thing about working on getting the through swing (past the ball position) right is that it sets you up for a good shot the next time you swing.
Appreciate your comments raz. This is the one thing I have noticed that I really dont get my right shoulder down and through. I very rarely finish in a balanced position (ie: pose).

I reckon I could squeeze some extra meters if I could get through the ball better. Need to keep reminding myself to lift my chin at address and this does help.

rick3003
1st March 2009, 12:05 PM
Quicker than his normal swing and shorter than his normal swing.. ;)
Spot on. When I hold back it goes to crap as it does when I get quick.

Its all about tempo and swinging with-in myself.

My best rounds are when I don't fight my natural shot shape (fade with a driver and straight with the irons). Some days I go out and try and hit those pretty draws and end up on the bogey train.

razaar
1st March 2009, 12:27 PM
Rick

The golden rule about posture is posture first, grip and stance follow. Common sense really, and the only way to ensure your setup is the same shot after shot. If you go to the Hogan vs Stack and tilt thread (#56) there is an extract from a book on the hip turn which is spot on. As for shoulder plane.....changing it from flat to upright during the swing leads to complications which require adjustments. Best to keep the shoulder plane constant on backswing and through swing with your existing arm plane. It will be easy on the back and will allow you to maintain the same spine angle and hip angle past the ball position, an essential for good balance and good ball contact. The feeling is that you swing under your left shoulder through your address position and do your shake hands move (with both hands); and keep turning, keeping the shaft on plane (parallel with the target when horizontal and at the address angle when vertical) with minimal break in the left wrist.

Jono
1st March 2009, 02:02 PM
Posture and alignment seem to be my main issues.


Since you mentioned posture ...

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9012/rickbtushline.jpg


Not as bad as T, but your butt still leaves the "tush line". Therefore at impact, you are losing the posture you established at address.

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/5739/64756850.jpg

Rick, you manage to jam your right elbow close to your side so you don't have to "lift" up through impact like T, but nevertheless, you are losing your posture which can lead to inconsistencies.

I think the main reason you lose your posture is because your left hip gets stuck through impact. IMO, you should try to clear it behind you more.

I mentioned this to T, but good drill for you is to find a wall or back of a chair and rest your butt against it. Take some slow swings without a club, and through impact, try to push your left hip against the wall/chair. By clearing the left hip, this will give you more space to fire the right side through the ball. You can be much more aggressive through the ball.

But ... I haven't touched a golf club in ages so take this couch golfer's opinion with a grain of salt. :razz:

rick3003
1st March 2009, 02:26 PM
Cheers Jono. Will give it a try.

markTHEblake
1st March 2009, 02:30 PM
See Most of the above: thats why you will never see my swing in this forum - I am paranoid enough about the voices I have in my head already!

virge666
1st March 2009, 06:12 PM
Since you mentioned posture ...

Rick, you manage to jam your right elbow close to your side so you don't have to "lift" up through impact like T, but nevertheless, you are losing your posture which can lead to inconsistencies.



Once more I am with Jono. not so much on the tush line but more with you head and neck at impact. WTF is it doing down there. The head sits on top of your shoulders - not underneath them.

Backswing looks tops. Downswing looks jammed. You need space. look how low your head and right hip is at impact - they are meant to be level

Get's worse when you get quick or out-of-sequence cause you get more jammed and then have to rely on your hands to get you out of it.

Couple of ways to fix it, but it is hard to explain over a web forum.

Watch a bit of Ogilvy, Casey and the lads tomorrow and watch how their upper body moves THROUGH the ball to the target and not AT the ball. These guys are rotating through to the target in one motion, you don't, you move down and then up to the target.

So - more ROTATE and less STAB. Once your upper body catches on - your natural "sportyness" will take care of the rest.

Some 80m pitches would be a good place to start. Put it on video and look for you head and upper body to stay in the same angle and to rotate up towards the target.

Enjoy

rick3003
1st March 2009, 08:16 PM
OK, something to work on at the range.

I have a few goals this year and am keen to try and find a little more consistency.

Cheers boys :)

razaar
2nd March 2009, 06:06 AM
Rick

Regardless of what is posted here don't let technical thoughts interfer with your natural ability to strike the golf ball. The bottom line is to hit the ball in a certain way to achieve the result required under the circumstances. It all boils down to control of the clubface. Thinking of where your body should be at, instead of where the clubface should be at may be at odds with each other. Something to think about.

The following is something written by Greg Norman's fitness instructor which I consider useful.

"Like all movements , the golf swing is a series of repeated muscular contractions regulated by the nervous system and directed by motor learning pathways. Purposeful movement depends on ultimate communication among all the mechanisms that regulate muscle length and tension.

The control nervous system processes information provided through five basic sensory analyzers.
Proprioceptive or body awareness
Tactile or sense of touch
Vestibular or balance and equilibrium
Optic or visual
Acoustic or auditory

At least three of these information processing and feedback systems - body awareness, balance, and visual focus - are important factors in developing a productive and reproducible golf swing."

3oneday
2nd March 2009, 07:20 AM
Rick

Regardless of what is posted here don't let technical thoughts interfer with your natural ability to strike the golf ball. The bottom line is to hit the ball in a certain way to achieve the result required under the circumstances. It all boils down to control of the clubface. Thinking of where your body should be at, instead of where the clubface should be at may be at odds with each other. Something to think about.

The following is something written by Greg Norman's fitness instructor which I consider useful.

"Like all movements , the golf swing is a series of repeated muscular contractions regulated by the nervous system and directed by motor learning pathways. Purposeful movement depends on ultimate communication among all the mechanisms that regulate muscle length and tension.

The control nervous system processes information provided through five basic sensory analyzers.
Proprioceptive or body awareness
Tactile or sense of touch
Vestibular or balance and equilibrium
Optic or visual
Acoustic or auditory

At least three of these information processing and feedback systems - body awareness, balance, and visual focus - are important factors in developing a productive and reproducible golf swing."

Yes Rick, make sure you keep this in mind !

rick3003
15th April 2012, 05:12 PM
OK lads I need some help - all my divots are pointing to the right and the ball is ending up left of target...

I cant hit a cut shot to save my life. The last 2 rounds I have hit 4-5 shanks trying to cut the ball.

WTF is going on!!!

timah!
15th April 2012, 05:48 PM
Ballflight laws?

rick3003
15th April 2012, 06:05 PM
Huh?

Actually pretty sure the problem relates to turn. I am not rotating through....

3oneday
15th April 2012, 07:06 PM
Could be your transition (at the top) dropping too far inside... speaking from experience ;)

virge666
15th April 2012, 07:53 PM
OK lads I need some help - all my divots are pointing to the right and the ball is ending up left of target...

I cant hit a cut shot to save my life. The last 2 rounds I have hit 4-5 shanks trying to cut the ball.

WTF is going on!!!

So. Swing path is in to out... What is the ball flight doing ?

Hooking or pulling ?

rick3003
15th April 2012, 08:09 PM
Hooking

virge666
15th April 2012, 09:59 PM
Hooking

Right. So you are swinging on an in to out path with an open club face to hit the push draw.

Two things to fix... Which one do you want??

Less in to out would be my choice.

meh
16th April 2012, 07:52 AM
Right. So you are swinging on an in to out path with an open club face to hit the push draw.

Two things to fix... Which one do you want??

Less in to out would be my choice.

I'd like to know how to fix it and make it less in to out.

virge666
16th April 2012, 08:10 AM
I'd like to know how to fix it and make it less in to out.

You have heaps of options.

You can keep a bit more upper body weight on your left side for the whole swing.
You can come a little over the top be and more active with you shoulders.
You can also get a little steeper into the ball. (my choice)

If you want to fix it quickly, just grab 10 balls and head to the nearest fairway bunker, hit 5 or 6 iron shots out of there by getting a little steeper into impact. You wont lose any compression, your balance will improve and the inside out swing will settle down.

rick3003
16th April 2012, 04:06 PM
More weight on the left side and a little steeper seems to work - just need to get in plenty of practice.

Was listening to an interview with Boo Weekley and all he thinks about is hitting the back of the ball - kinda makes sense to me!

virge666
16th April 2012, 04:31 PM
More weight on the left side and a little steeper seems to work - just need to get in plenty of practice.

Was listening to an interview with Boo Weekley and all he thinks about is hitting the back of the ball - kinda makes sense to me!

When it comes to playing pro's for tips... I usually ignore them. Almost everything is automatic for them. Sort of like Lewis Hamilton saying, " I just hit the apex and keep the weight over the front for a bit of extra grip"

It is pretty easy when you do it every day... IMHO, the rest of us are at a different level so we sort of still have to think about it a bit more.

rick3003
16th April 2012, 04:41 PM
When it comes to playing pro's for tips... I usually ignore them. Almost everything is automatic for them. Sort of like Lewis Hamilton saying, " I just hit the apex and keep the weight over the front for a bit of extra grip"

It is pretty easy when you do it every day... IMHO, the rest of us are at a different level so we sort of still have to think about it a bit more.
I can see your point but keeping it simple works for me. Visualising hitting the back of the ball has me coming in steeper and my divot pattern was much straighter.... Compression was far better too.

virge666
16th April 2012, 05:28 PM
I can see your point but keeping it simple works for me. Visualising hitting the back of the ball has me coming in steeper and my divot pattern was much straighter.... Compression was far better too.

Whatever works mate, I much prefer the straighter divot. Divots to the right suck.